Ch. 9 Cornell Notes Nominations and Campaigns
I. The Road to the
Presidency
A. The Presidential
Primaries
Questions
1. In the early 1800s, congressional leaders held a caucus to select presidential candidates.
2. Supporters of Andrew Jackson criticized the caucus system for being elitist. During the 1830s, the
Jackson Democrats and the Whigs held party conventions to nominate their presidential candidates.
3. Party bosses soon dominated the conventions. During the early 1900s, Progressive reformers
promoted primary elections as a way of giving voters a greater role in the nomination process.
4. In 2008, 40 states held presidential primaries. The first primary is traditionally held in New
Hampshire. In a process called frontloading, three-fourths of the primaries are now held between
February and mid-March.
5. Primaries can be closed or open:
 In a closed primary, voters are required to identify a party preference before the
election and are not allowed to split their ticket.
 In an open primary, voters can decide on Election Day whether they want to
participate in the Democratic or Republican contest.
6. In the past, most presidential primaries were winner-take-all elections in the candidate with the most
votes won all the delegates. The Democratic Party has now replaced winner-take-all primaries with a
proportional system that awards delegates based on the percentage of votes a candidate receives. The
Republican Party currently uses both winner-take-all and proportional representation elections.
7. Some states use a complex system of local caucuses and district conventions to select delegates.
Iowa holds the best known and most influential caucus.
8. Critics argue that candidates devote too much time to Iowa and New Hampshire. Although both
states are relatively small, they play a crucial role in generating media attention.
9. Only about 25 percent of adult citizens cast ballots in primary elections. Primary voters tend to be a
party activists who are older and more affluent than voters in the general election.
B. The Party
Conventions
1. In the past, party conventions selected their presidential and vice-presidential candidates after days of
tense and often dramatic bargaining. As a result of victories in the primaries and caucuses, the leading
contender now almost always has the nominations locked up before the convention begins.
2. The conventions now serve three major functions:
 They formally name the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
 The adopt a party platform
 They attempt to unify the party and generate positive publicity and momentum.
C. Campaign Spending
and Reform
1. Campaign costs have skyrocketed. In 1988, George Bush and Michael Dukakis spent a combined
total of $60.3 million to fund their activities during the primary season. In 2008, Barack Obama and
John McCain spent $408 million to fund their primary campaigns
2. The Federal Election Reform Act of 1974
 Created a Federal Election Commission to administer and enforce campaign finance laws.
 Provided partial public funding for presidential primaries.
 Provided full public financing for major party candidates in the general election.
 Placed limitations on individual contributions to presidential candidates.
3. Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
 The Supreme Court struck down the portion of the Federal Election Reform Act that limited
the amount of money an individual could contribute to his or her own campaign.
 The Court ruled that contributing o one’s own campaign I a form of protected free speech: “the
candidate, no less than any other person, has a First Amendment right to engage in the
discussion of public issues and vigorously and tirelessly to advocate his own elections.”
4.Soft money
 Soft money includes unregulated donations to political parties for party-building expenses such
as grassroots activities and generic party advertising.
 Reform laws failed to regulate soft money donations.
 Soft money was often used to circumvent limitations on hard money contributions.
5.The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002
 Reforms led by Senators John McCain and Russell Feingold aimed to eliminate soft money
contributions.
 The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 banned soft money contributions.
6. 527 groups
 A 527 group is a tax-exempt organization created to influence the political process.
 527 groups are not regulated by the Federal Election Commission because they do not
coordinate their activities with a candidate or party.
 In 2004, 527 groups spent over $420 million on political messages.
D. The Electoral
College
Summary
1. Introduction
 The framers created the Electoral College to safeguard the presidency from direct popular
election.
 Each state has as many electoral votes as its combined total of representatives and senators. In
the 2008 presidential election, seven states and the District of Columbia had three electoral
votes, while California had 55 electoral votes.
 Electors were originally chosen by the state legislators. Today, they are selected by the parties.
Although the Framers expected electors to be independent , they are now expected to vote for
their party’s candidates for president and vice president.
2. Consequences of the winner-take-all electoral college
 The electoral college is a winner-take-all system. The presidential candidate who receives the
most votes wins all of state’s electoral votes.
 Candidates devote a disproportionate amount of time and resources to closely contested states,
swing states, and competitive states.
 Candidates emphasize issues that may swing a key bloc of voters in a pivotal state. For
example, candidates appeal to Florida’s large bloc of Cuban American voters by stressing their
opposition to Fidel Castro.
 The winner-take-all system severely restricts the prospects of third-party candidates.
3. Reasons why the electoral college has not been abolished.
 It would require a constitutional amendment to abolish the electoral college.
 The electoral college collectively benefits the small states that are guaranteed at least 3
electoral votes.
 The electoral college benefits racial minorities and interest groups located in key states.
 There is no consensus on how to reform the electoral college.